It looks like the GPU wars are about to heat up again!*I know the big reveal we’re waiting for is Vega, but those of you wanting to see Polaris refined before jumping in have good news with the Release of the 500 Series. Based on a quick look at reviews, it looks like the Polaris refresh has boosted clockspeeds and smoothed out performance, but it does use a bit more power and still doesn’t have a ton of overclocking headroom. On the other hand, Radeon is doing a great job of showing off other beneficial features.

In the slide presentation, Radeon Relive, Chill and FreeSync are all pointed out. Having used Relive to do some video capture myself, I can say it worked really well in helping me grab a section of gameplay for one of my videos. Chill definitely helped idle down my R9 290s and FreeSync is so affordable, it’s really hard for me not to recommend an AMD GPU based on the monitor pairings alone. There are a ton of details so check out the press release info below, not only for the 500 series but also the new driver, as well a gallery of the slide presentation.

RadeonTM RX 500 Series:
The Most Compelling Graphics Card Upgrade Yet

Designed with the perfect balance of performance and features
for the 9 out of 10 gamers that play on outdated graphics cards

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – April 18, 2017 – Today AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) introduced the RadeonTM RX 500 series, a new line of graphics cards featuring a powerful combination of improved game performance, higher clock speeds1, and a refined 2nd generation Polaris architecture, giving PC gamers the best reasons yet to upgrade their graphics. The Radeon RX 500 series was designed specifically for system upgrades, catering to the 9 out of 10 PC gamers today who are hindered by outdated technology and aren’t able to enjoy optimal experiences in modern games, smooth VR experiences, or the latest display technologies.2,3 RadeonTM RX 500 series graphics cards feature a variety of the most compelling new technologies and features including:

Optimized DirectX® 12 and Vulkan® gaming — The RadeonTM RX 500 series was engineered using the 2nd generation Polaris architecture. It was specifically designed to perform exceptionally well with low-level, next-generation APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan and it supports asynchronous compute for outstanding game and VR experiences.3 Radeon RX 500 series GPUs have been further refined with higher clock speeds, improved idle and multi-monitor efficiency, and the fine-grained controls gamers need to fine-tune their hardware

Improved response times, more efficiency, and cooler operation with RadeonTM Chill — Radeon Chill is an advanced framerate controller for the RadeonTM RX 500 series that works automatically in the background (when enabled) to dynamically regulate framerates in today’s most popular games based on the speed of mouse movements and the gamer’s activity in a scene4

Smooth, stutter-free gaming with RadeonTM FreeSync — Gamers can enjoy smooth framerates in virtually every game released, without the frustration of screen tearing and input lag using Radeon FreeSync, available on a wide range of affordable displays.5 For those that want to get even closer to pixel-perfect gaming, RadeonTM FreeSync 2 monitors harness low-latency, high-brightness pixels, excellent black levels and a wide color gamut to display high dynamic range (HDR) content, and feature Low Framerate Compensation (LFC) enabling stutter-free gaming when framerates dip below a monitor’s refresh rate, all in a completely plug-and-play experience that eliminates the need to tweak settings in software or on the monitor.6

Awesome streaming, sharing, and gameplay capture with Radeon ReLive — The RadeonTM RX 500 series supports the industry’s most revolutionary solution for capturing, customizing, and sharing gameplay. The Radeon ReLive software suite lets gamers enjoy smooth gaming and recording simultaneously, even on entry-level systems, with support for recording at 4K resolution at 30 and 60 FPS using HEVC and H.264 codecs.7 Radeon ReLive also integrates with the most popular game streaming platforms around the world

“Radeon was built on the promise that all gamers can enjoy the most advanced graphics technologies in their favorite games. Our launch today of the Radeon RX 500 series doubles down on that effort. With higher performance, revolutionary gameplay capture software, latency-reduction technology, Day 0 driver support for game launches, open and affordable standards like Radeon FreeSync, and innovative features like Radeon Chill, we know gamers who have been patiently waiting to upgrade will have more than enough reasons to now,” said Scott Herkelman, corporate vice president and general manager, Radeon Technologies Group.

A wide range of RadeonTM RX 500 Series cards will be available to meet the needs of the
overwhelming majority of gamers:

RadeonTM RX 580: For smooth 1440p gaming — The Radeon RX 580 delivers up to an average of 57% better performance compared to the RadeonTM R9 380X in testing8, delivering smooth gaming in leading AAA games and VR experiences for an SEP of US$229 for the RadeonTM RX 580 8GB GDDR 5 graphics card, and an SEP of US$199 for the RadeonTM RX 580 4GB GDDR5 graphics card RadeonTM RX 570: For maximum 1080p gaming —

With 4GB of GDDR5 memory, the RadeonTM RX 570 boasts up to an average of 2.3X better performance compared to the RadeonTM R7 3709 for an SEP of US$169 RadeonTM RX 560: For efficient 1080p gaming — With 2GB of GDDR5 memory, the RadeonTM RX 560 delivers up to an average 57% higher performance of the RadeonTM R7 36010 for a fluid and smooth gaming experience in the world’s most popular games at an SEP of US$99

RadeonTM RX 550: The doorway to PC gaming — Featuring 2GB GDDR5 memory, the RadeonTM RX 550 delivers up to an average 4X higher performance vs. competing integrated graphics, and up to an average of 1.7X the performance of the RadeonTM R7 250 at an SEP of US$79.11 The RadeonTM RX 550 is also ideal for home theater PCs with support for HDMITM 4K60, 4K playback and HEVC content.5 It’s also HDR ready, supports Radeon FreeSync 2 technology for smooth, tear-free gaming, and ships in many low-profile designs ideal for small form factor cases12 Radeon RX 580 and 570 graphics cards from major AIB partners are available from retailers and etailers around the world starting today*, and the Radeon RX 550 graphics card is expected to be available April 20th. Radeon RX 560 graphics cards are planned for release in early May. For more information on where to buy, visit https://www.amd.com/en/where-to-buy/radeon-rx500. Supporting Resources Read up on all the RadeonTM RX 500 Series excitement on Radeon.com here Watch the RadeonTM RX 580 launch video on YouTube here

Read about the new RadeonTM RX 500 Series contest here Become a fan of AMD and Radeon on Facebook Follow @Radeon, @AMDRyzen and @AMDGaming on Twitter Follow @WeAreRadeon on Instagram For more product and technology information, please go to radeon.com About AMD For more than 45 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies ? the building blocks for gaming, immersive platforms, and the datacenter. Hundreds of millions of consumers, leading Fortune 500 businesses, and cutting-edge scientific research facilities around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work, and play. AMD employees around the world are focused on building great products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages. Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.4.3 Highlights Support for Windows®10 Creators Update. Support for Radeon RX 580 Series Graphics. Support for Radeon RX 570 Series Graphics. http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-arti...ase-Notes.aspx

if the best amd has to offer is 3 levels lower than the competition best, i'd be somewhat disappointed.
but,,,with that being said,,exact hardware specs, exact performance tie,,

,and amd did it for 100 bucks less?

that is very nice indeed,,very nice

Here's the big deal. Adaptive sync monitors are amazing for gaming, but the cheapest Gsync you can get is close to $400 new for a 24". On the flip side, you can get a 24" FreeSync that starts at $140! Alright, fine, that FreeSync doesn't have 144Hz refresh like the Gsync one, but you can still find a 144Hz FreeSync around $250 depending on how off brand you want to go. Plus, FreeSync actually gives you options for 22" monitors. That's where AMD really wins me over with the experience. As long as Vega has strong performance, they'll still be my go-to option for spending my budget.

I don't have either FreeSync or Gsync screens yet,.....but I ~do~ have one 4K screen.
I have gamed with two 980Ti cards in SLI and two GigabyteRX480 8GB Gaming G-1 cards in Crossfire using it.
It's pretty smooth either way but the 980Ti cards are better.

I also have several 27" 1080P screens here. Using the Crossfire 480 8GB cards with these is fantastic!
I wouldn't hesitate to get the new RX580 8GB cards, even if the performance is only a little better than what I have now.